Requisite Words Podcast

We wrap up 2020 with several pieces by Sir Philip Sidney and Christopher Marlowe. Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Pictures are in the public domain, from wikimedia.org.

After a very 2020 hiatus, we're back with two of Thomas Hardy's poems, God's Funeral and The Darkling Thrush. Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo is in the public domain, from wikimedia.org

This episode we share the first of Shakespeare's Sonnets to the Dark Lady, Sonnet 127, alongside a brief contextual reading of the piece. This episode was inspired by Patrick Stewart's A Sonnet a Day initiative, which has been a source of much delight in recent months, but overlooked this one piece during a break. Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo is in the public domain, from wikimedia.org

We attempt to balance out the bawdy and bluest of the Bard with a few of his nicer Sonnets. Featuring Sonnets 17, 18, 19 and 29. Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo by Shamia Casiano from Pexels.com

This episode is for anyone who's ever stared at a blank page, waiting for the words to come. We explore one possible solution, using a walkthrough of an untitled poem I published on Twitter, in a thread started by @scotianselkie. Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo is by Pixabay, courtesy of Pexels | https://www.pexels.com/photo/blank-bloom-blossom-business-356372/

By popular request, a sequel to Episode Seven. Reeling from the hit success of Sonnet 135, Shakespeare penned Sonnet 136, which continued the argument for... well, a close reading of the Bard's breeches. Not safe for work, children, or anyone who thinks the world has heard enough dick jokes. Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Image: Public Domain portrait of William Shakespeare, sans junk. Note: The title of this episode was edited on 5 June, after one of the words was appropriated by fascist fringe groups.

This episode is for anyone who wants to spend a little time getting creative while staying at home. It’s kid-safe, although it contains farts, and acknowledges the existence of adult themes. Kia kaha, whānau. Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo is by Sharon McCutcheon, courtesy of Pexels | https://www.pexels.com/photo/4k-wallpaper-adorable-blur-boy-1148998/

Content note: A brief discussion of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Also contains a dog. Anxiety and similar conditions can be exacerbated in times of uncertainty, so future episodes during the pandemic will feature content warnings where relevant. While the poems shared may remain directly or tangentially relevant to the global situation, mention of Covid-19 will be avoided after this episode. Two of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's works feature in this episode, recorded from self-isolation. Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Photo is by Dominika Roseclay, courtesy of Pexels | https://www.pexels.com/photo/closeup-photo-of-red-dachshund-895259/

This episode discusses "Still I Rise," by Maya Angelou, in unpacking why you're hearing so much historical (if still relevant) poetry in these parts, and little from the diverse voices of the now. Read Still I Rise at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise Watch and listen to Maya Angelou perform her work at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qviM_GnJbOM Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Image of Maya Angelou is in the public domain, sourced from Wikimedia.org

We celebrate a somewhat healthier love in this Valentine's Day episode, with Mary Shelley's "Oh, come to me in dreams, my love!" and provide some context for the Greek myth it draws on. For more on the mythology of Psyche and Eros, the following links are a good starting point: https://www.greeka.com/greece-myths/eros-psyche/ https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/Eros_and_Psyche/eros_and_psyche.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid_and_Psyche Episode Music: Be Chillin’ by Alexander Nakarada | www.serpentsoundstudios.com Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Image or Eros and Psyche is in the public domain, sourced from Wikimedia.org